Colombina
by M.L. Fox
Summary: Day 1 of Jihyun/MC Week: Carnival. A year into his travels, V finds himself in Venice in time for the Carnival. As he spends a lonely night in a ball, he encounters a woman who asked him for a dance.


**Colombina**

"What a unique hair colour."

V blinked as the words broke through his daze. He glanced at the source: a woman standing beside him. She wore an off-shoulder blue ball gown with a lace style silver detailing. Like most of the guests in the palazzo her face was covered by a mask. It only covered the top half of her face, stopping at her cheeks. The design was intricate, with the colours and decoration matching the dress. Jewels, crystals, and feathers surrounded her eyes, drawing attention to them. What deep brown eyes they were—upturned with short lashes. It reminded him of… no. Better not go down that thought.

"It's natural, isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?" he smiled politely.

"Oh, I know—I mean, you don't seem the type to dye." She returned his smile and his own fell at the sight of it. The exact shape of her lips... the kindness emanating from it... it was exactly like... but it wasn't. It couldn't be. He was here in Venice while she was five and a half thousand miles away, in Seoul. The person before him had her eyes and smile, but it wasn't her.

The music changed. Before the band played a waltz; now, it transitioned into a slow ballad. V looked away from his new companion to the dancefloor. Groups of people departed, leaving behind couples. A sigh escaped his lips as yearning struck him. How wonderful would it be if she were here. They could have talked like they used to. They could have danced.

"Well? Shall we dance?"

V's attention returned to his companion. She offered her hand to him in invitation. There was that smile again—so much like hers that he was in serious danger of imagining her to life in a stranger. He winced. "I apologise. I'm not really a dancer—"

"Just one?" her smile widened, dropping her hand and taking the skirt of her dress in her fists. She twirled around and then stopped, giggling as she smoothed the wrinkles she created. "It's my first time in a ball wearing a gown; I'm feeling very much like a princess."

He couldn't deny that. "You do look like one."

"And you look like a prince," she quipped, offering her hand again. "It'll be like a fairy tale."

There was no way V resembled any kind of fairy tale prince. However, it would be rude of him to argue against something that made his companion happy. He stared at her hand. It was beautiful, dainty and delicate—something he'd like to sketch. One dance wouldn't be so bad. After all, she was kind enough to approach and befriend him. "Well, in that case I am happy to oblige."

He held her hand… and something fluttered in his chest. He glanced down and found that his hand dwarfed hers. In his mind was a memory, one he revisited often during his loneliest hours. He had done this before in another time, another place… with another person. Longing stirred in his chest, making him wish for things he shouldn't have… at least not yet.

In his daze, he had not realised that his companion was pulling him to the dancefloor until he almost tripped on one of the steps. He caught himself before he fell, following her until she stopped at the very centre of the floor. Gazing at her, V tried to find something unique about his companion... something different. But it was difficult. Her eyes, her smile… and even the way she talked now reminded him so much of—

The tempo changed and they moved in time with it. Seamlessly, they fell in unison with the other dancing couples. It was like the lessons he took when he was younger, though not as strict. He'd already made several mistakes, but his companion followed him without complaint. She smiled at him and he smiled back, but it was half-hearted.

"You don't live here," she stated.

"I don't, no."

"Been travelling long?"

"Yes…" he trailed off thoughtfully, "actually, I've been travelling for a year now."

"What a brave journey," she gasped, "it's just my first night here and I'm already homesick."

"To be honest, I'm feeling quite homesick myself," he admitted, now averting his eyes. It's as if he'd just confessed to her, but she wasn't here. Saying it to a stranger somehow seemed worse than telling her. As if it was a secret he intentionally kept from her. "But… I'm not ready to return."

"I see." The sound of her sighing prompted V to look at her. Her expression remained polite, though she no longer smiled. Did he say something to offend her? Their eyes met and hers glistened in a way that reminded him of tears. V blinked and stared again… no. It was the lights of the hall playing tricks on him. "And… what brings you to Venice?"

"Oh… I wanted to partake in the carnival."

"Me too. I haven't been before." She looked around in wonder. "It's colourful, isn't it?"

"Very. It's vibrant and energetic… the people here seem happy."

"I think so too." When she looked back at him, her smile had returned. The lights sparkled in her eyes like stars and it dazzled him. "And? Where next?"

"The rest of Italy… and the rest of Europe." He smiled. "I'm excited, actually."

"You are?"

"Well, Europe is the mecca of western art, you see." His smile widened. During his travels he had gotten more comfortable in talking about his passion. It was such joy to talk about art, the things he knew about it, and the things he learned. "Respected artists lived in different parts of this continent. It was always a dream to learn from them—study their style and skill closely. And their histories, their experiences, harrowing and otherwise. It would be like finding kinship—"

"What's wrong?" she said as his smile faded.

His eyes roamed over the design of her mask. He had been talking to her as if she was someone else… and she didn't even know. It was unfair. To him, his companion, and her. He shouldn't let his loneliness cloud his judgement so easily. "I apologise. It wasn't my intention to be so familiar."

"I don't mind. That was lovely to hear," she chuckled. "You're an artist, aren't you?"

He flushed. "M-me? I'm not—"

"You _are_ an artist."

He nodded with a conceded sigh. "Well, yes. I'm just starting, though."

"Good." She looked around as the ballad transitioned to something upbeat. They, along with the other couples, stopped. "Oh… what a shame, the music's ended."

Well, that was that. He stepped from her, but kept holding onto her hand. Around them, more people joined the floor and danced to the music. He led her to a quieter place off the dancefloor to avoid the crowd. Then, he smiled gently and bowed—like a prince. Because somehow he felt like he was in a fairy tale too. "Thank you… for the pleasure of your company."

She giggled and curtsied. "No, thank you for indulging me."

He kissed the back of her hand before letting go. "I hope you have a pleasant evening."

She smiled and with a final nod, he walked off. He resisted the urge to look back. It was a horrible truth to admit, but he wanted to catch a last glimpse of who his companion resembled. How rude of him... he didn't even get her name. Still, he was grateful for her. For a few minutes she made him feel like himself again—the part of him that he had left behind back home. He weaved through the crowd. Could he bridge the gap just a little? Though he wasn't ready, he longed for a respite from his loneliness. If he called… would they be disappointed at his lack of contact? Would she?

"Wait." Slender fingers wrapped around his wrist. "B-before I let you go… I want to know."

He looked over his shoulder and saw his companion. Smiling, he faced her. "Yes?"

Her fingers tightened. "What you're doing now… is it what you want?"

"It is," he answered.

She nodded fervently. She now held his wrist in a vice-like grip. What questions she asked him. As he gave her his full attention, something prickled at the back of his mind, but he couldn't make sense of it. "And right now… are _you_ happy?"

"I… yes. I am happy."

"Good." She smiled shakily. V saw tears slide down the mask and along her jaw. Why was she crying? He wanted to help her, but at the same time he was confused. He stood, unable to act, as she released him. She bowed her head and reached around the back. "I'm glad to hear that because if you weren't then it'd make me sad."

The ribbons of the mask slid down. V's heart beat furiously against his chest. The thoughts in his head exploded into pieces and connections that he struggled to solve. Meanwhile, his companion peeled the mask from her face and looked up, revealing a face he longed to see the whole night. "MC…"

"Hi," she said, wiping at her eyes and sniffling. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to trick you—"

He took her hands, staring at her in disbelief. After not seeing her for a year—after not talking to her and hearing her voice... after the many flights he cancelled because he knew he was not good enough to see her yet… she was here. She was really here. She was in his arms, a reality he had not prepared himself for. "Am I dreaming?"

"No…" she embraced him tightly.

"But why?" he leaned away from her, gaze running over her face. He cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears away. Each passing touch was confirmation that he wasn't dreaming. It was her. It was her all this time. He had been talking to her. Those eyes, that smile… it belonged to her. It was a shame that he didn't recognise her. He was so deep in his own loneliness that he saw her everywhere, but knew that it couldn't be her. To have her really here, standing before him… it was nothing short of a miracle. "How?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," she said, holding onto his hands. "Jumin and the others helped me..."

 _Of course_. Chuckling, he nodded. He couldn't stop looking at her. She was the same as a year ago. It was as if he never left. But he did. The memory of his departure was so clear to him. She shed so many tears as he said his farewell to her. His heart ached the more distance he put between them. Leaving was not necessary, he could have found himself back home… but he wanted to be reborn in a new place. He was certain she was cross with him for leaving after all they'd gone through. He convinced himself that she didn't want to see him again. But here she was. Here she was.

He embraced her. "I miss you… so much."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I miss you too."

* * *

 **Notes:**

1\. You can find more lovely Jihyun/MC creations at the **jihyunmcweek** blog.

2\. Colombina is a type of mask. They're the type that covers only the upper half of the person's face and is common during masquerade parties.

And that's it! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. As always, feedback is appreciated!


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